The Shinobi Trials
by KeepCalmAndWatchAnime
Summary: SasuNaru! Sasuke hated being a royal, so he decided to carve his own path in life by participating in the Shinobi Trials, a kill or be killed battle for fame, glory, and money. Only three out of fifty people win. How will he survive if he's never had experience in the shinobi world? How will he protect the blond ally that he's in love with? A few OC's but not major characters.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: At first, the beginning of this chapter seems like it is a rape scene, but it's not. It's actually a scene that reflects a part of Sasuke's character, to give a reader a better understanding of him. I apologize if things seem unclear or confusing, I'll continue to do my best to clarify things as the story goes on. I also apologize for any errors, please let me know if I made any. **

**Warnings: Lemon (Not a graphic one, but still a lemon)**

* * *

"Don't be so noisy", he whispered harshly in her ear.

He placed his hands over her mouth to keep her wanton moans under control as he plowed into her. Each violent thrust letting out the anger that boiled inside of him, that he struggled to control every day that passed on. None of what was going on was out of love or affection.

"Shhhh", he whispered as he went deeper and deeper inside. No, this was not rape. It was one hundred percent consensual. He was a gentle man, he was trained to be one. He was only aggressive when he felt like he had to be.

Finally, he climaxed, looking her dead in the eyes. No romantic connection, no "I love you", and she wasn't expecting it either. He made it clear to her from the beginning that this was simply a method to keep him under control. The amount of power he had in the Uchiha Kingdom was little to none, but the power he had on the mattress with the loyal, lovely, "innocent" maid who had been working for his parents for six years, was endless.

"I'm sorry", he whispered faintly.

"It's okay. I understand you"

The maid was right, she'd always been there for Sasuke. She was practically his cheerleader, always rooting for him in the background. The heart breaking part; she was in love with him, but he would never return the feelings. Even if he could marry who he wanted. He just didn't like her in that way. Sure, he thought she was beautiful, and she'd not once let him down, but nothing was there. It took a lot more than beauty and loyalty to impress Sasuke Uchiha. You had to be unique.

"But I am really sorry", he repeats. He hated apologizing, Uchiha's rarely ever did.

"I agreed to this. What is there to be sorry for?"

"You love me don't you?", he asks growing frustrated with her nonchalant attitude.

It was most certainly not the time to bring it up, but the guilt had been hurting him for a while. At first, he didn't think much of her feelings for him, even after she agreed to their secret nightly ritual. Without care, he did what he needed to do. She got her pleasure, he got his, but it wasn't until he fully matured that he realized how this might be hurting her. She was his sexual punching bag, close friend, and the Uchiha housekeeper. That was all she'd ever be to him.

"Of course I do, but I accept the fact that you can't return the feelings, and even if you did feel the same way, our marriage would be forbidden. I can't force someone to love me. So if this is as much affection I can get from you, I'll take it. Even if none of it is out of love. I'll have my temporary high for the day, the same one you feel, and then wake up in my bed reminding myself that nothing happened between us"

The words felt like ice chunks being pelted at his body, but they were words of honesty. He needed to hear them.

"Speaking of that", she said as she slowly pushed herself up.

"I should be heading back to my room now. Good night"

She kisses him on the cheek, and rolls out of bed, limping away like she always did after they had sex. Then, as carefully as possible, she shut the door behind her. That's when he finally did something he had never done in his life. He broke down in tears. He was an eighteen year old male, forced to live with his parents until he married (also forced to do this of course) that horrendous brunette who was madly in love with with Neji Hyuga. It had only now hit him hard that he was going to live the rest of his life hating himself and his soon to be wife.

* * *

At six in the morning, the raven decided to go out to the archery range, another way he got out his frustration. He'd been shooting arrows since he was six, and at this point he was so skilled that he rarely ever missed the bullseye. His accuracy was incredible.

"You must be angry"

He had been so busy shooting arrow after arrow, that he hadn't been paying attention to anything else. His brothers presence was not something he had sensed, it was hard to sense to begin with.

"Very angry", he retorts. Like always, he hit the target, and the sound echoed throughout the secluded grass area.

"I can understand why. In less than two weeks you are going to have to face bridezilla", Itachi jokes.

"I'm trying not to think about it", he replies through gritted teeth. Again, he hit the target.

"But don't you think it's healthier to talk about how you feel? It's something you rarely ever do, and I know how angry you are on the inside", his brother says in what Sasuke liked to call his "therapist" voice.

"I don't want to talk to anyone. Why do you think I come here so often?"

"Well, I know that only half the time you come here, it is because you are forced to. So I'm assuming that the times you come here out of your own free will, is to release some pent up anger"

His younger brother scoffs at him, and reloads an arrow, narrowing his eyes at the target.

"Some pent up anger", he retorted mockingly.

"Okay, a lot of pent up anger. The same anger I used to have. I know that you feel like a doll in a dollhouse, being moved around and forced to do things without being able to object, but I'm telling you that everything will be okay. You will marry TenTen and move on"

He ignores his brother, biting his tongue to prevent himself from exploding.

"Hell, I did it. I'm sure you can, you're an Uchiha afterall. We're strategists. We take the cards that are dealt to us, and we figure out how to use them to our advantage"

"Cut the philosophical shit. What are you trying to say", the youngest one demands.

"Always so impatient"

"You're wasting my time"

"Fine, what I'm trying to tell you is that if you want to be happy, you need to accept your fate, and change how you view your future. Your future is how you envision it, and how you envision it, is up to you"

"Okay", was the simple reply he received.

"I'll keep that in mind when I see my worse nightmare walking down the aisle in a wedding dress"

All Itachi could do was chuckle and leave his obviously pissed off brother alone.

"Just remember, you can change your future! Sometimes, it's not even how you look at it, it's the choices you need to make that can change it!", he says as he continues to walk further away from the skilled archer.

"Right", he said under his breath. But as sarcastic as he may sound, he knew Itachi was right. If he wanted to change his future, he'd have do something drastic. He had to figure out a way to live on his own, and make a decent living while doing so. The only question was "How?"

* * *

Unfortunately for Sasuke, he would not be eating breakfast in peace. His fiance and her rotten family were coming over, so he would spend more time talking about the wedding than eating his food. Go figure.

"Sasuke-kun!"

Her enthusiasm was way overacted as she ran over to him, wrapping him tightly in her arms. He faked a smile, and watched her parents nod at the sight before them, letting him know that they were meant to be together. That was far from the truth.

"I'm so sorry, I've been so busy lately. I wish I had more time to see you, but you know how things get. Ever since the press found out about our marriage, they've been bothering me about it ever since"

The speed at which she talked was far too fast for him to take in, it was like she had drank ten cups of coffee and then snorted a line of coke.

"Yeah, I know. They've been giving me a hard time too"

It was true, whenever Sasuke went out of the house, he had to go with at least six or seven anbu. The press would clobber him if he ever went out alone.

"It's terrible! And it's been so hard to leave the house without being attacked by paparazzi, and- and...I've missed you so much", she fake cries.

He tried really hard to suppress an eyeroll, and continued to put on the show for her parents. For dramatic effect, he kissed her on the forehead, a smart choice, seeing how happy her parents looked after it.

"We'll give you two some alone time", TenTen's mother said.

"TenTen, prepare something tasty for Sasuke. Show him what a good cook you are. No man wants a girl who can't cook", Fagaku said half jokingly.

The four finally left the room to go about their lives, leaving the fake barbie and ken couple alone.

"I'm not cooking you shit", she hissed as she finally took her hands off him.

"Good. I wasn't planning on throwing up or getting food poisoning today", he snorted.

"I'll have you know that I can cook!", she growled back at him.

He had already tuned her out, and she began to bark at him, like she always did.

"Are you listening to me?"

Sasuke refused to reply as he turned on the stove and took at a pan. He could cook for himself like he always did. He didn't like the idea of having a chef cook for him, let alone, his evil fiance.

"Dammit, I didn't want to marry you! This wasn't supposed to happen!", she complained.

"I was supposed to marry Neji! Hinata was supposed to be my sister-in-law! Why the hell would my mother set me up with an egotistical Uchiha!?"

It was true, Uchiha's were known for their ego's. They were prodigies after all, and even though none of them were shinobi, they were still trained to fight like them. Sasuke, Itachi, and Fagaku all could activate the sharingan, but only Fagaku could activate the mangekyou.

"I'm stronger than Neji. Your parents only want the best when it comes to your safety. Too bad, what they don't know is that if you were ever in danger I wouldn't bother to come to your rescue", he stated simply.

"You-you bastard!", TenTen choked out.

"Do you want some eggs and bacon?", he asked to change the subject. It was too early in the morning to argue with her. He wished he'd realized that sooner. Now she was going to go on a rant.

"I don't want a damn thing you cook! I want our wedding to be cancelled!", she whined in agony.

"That's one thing we can agree on", he grumbled under his breath.

"And we have to go everywhere together. Even tomorrow, we have to see each other again", she continued to whine.

"What? Why? I thought I wasn't going to have to look at your face for another three days", the Uchiha snaps. He was certainly not having a good morning.

"I know, but there's that stupid thing tomorrow...the honorary shinobi or whatever", she grumbled.

"Oh right, almost forgot that existed. Never bothered to know the details", he said brushing the meaningless topic aside.

"You mean you don't know about the honorary shinobi?", she asks as if he'd asked her what a refrigerator was.

"All I know is that people bet large amounts of money on who the winners are, and that the winners get a statue in their name"

"Winners get so much more than a statue! They get millions of dollars, they get glory, and they never have to pay taxes ever again! How could you know so little?"

Sasuke paused from what he was doing to take in all the information.

"Millions of dollars", Sasuke repeats.

"Yes! But it's not like it's easy. Only the strongest, most driven shinobi do it. There can only be three winners out of the fifty who are chosen to participate. Not everyone who wants to be an honorary shinobi gets to be in the trials"

"Hn. Interesting", he says as he continued to cook.

"Yeah, you gotta have a lot of guts to do something like that. There survival rate is less than ten percent"

"So, how exactly do they elect these people?", the curious raven asked.

"It's a lottery system. There's gotta be over a thousand people whose names are in the system", she replied dryly.

The raven watched the fatty bacon sizzle as he stood in deep thought.

"But getting your name chosen only feels like half a victory. Being lucky enough to survive is the other half"

* * *

TenTen left when the sun began to set, her parents shook his hand before they took off back to their billion dollar home. It was the biggest sigh of relief of the day. The air felt a lot easier to take in when the plague that was TenTen and her family weren't around.

Like always, Sasuke stayed alone in his room, isolated from everyone. He used to eat dinner with the family all the time, but as he grew up, it got harder for them to force him down stairs. He couldn't stand his father, his uncle, and their children.

"Sasuke"

The soft voice could only be his mothers, and there was a knock on the door.

"The door's open", he replied lifelessly.

When she walked in, she greeted him with the warmest smile he had seen all day. His mother was his weak spot, she could never make him angry or upset. She was the nicest one in the entire house, and he loved and respected her a hell of a lot more than his father did.

"Can we talk?"


	2. Chapter 2

He stops sharpening his sword and sighed, placing it down on his bed. With the gracefulness that she was forced to have since she was able to walk, she sauntered over and sat down next to him on his king sized bed. She kept the smile on her face, to show her son that he was not in trouble. Not that he would ever cause trouble to begin with anyways.

"What's the bad news?", he asked coldly. His mother laughs, but his face remains as serious as ever.

"Bad news? There is no bad news", she replied happily.

"Okay, so then what's the good news?"

"There is no good news either. I just wanted to have a mother to son conversation with you"

"Okay?"

"Oh come on Sasuke, don't act like we don't have anything to talk about. You're getting married soon! And to someone that I can tell you truely love"

The giddiness in her voice was making him sick, and he was debating on whether or not he should tell her the truth. But as he continued to look at her, and saw the joy in her eyes, he decided it was best not to. If he was unhappy, his mother was unhappy. It had always been that way.

"And I can't wait to see what my future grandchildren will look like", she said before nudging her son in the arm.

It was those words that made his stomach turn. If he didn't want to marry her, he sure as hell didn't want to reproduce with her. An image of what their children could possibly look like flashed through his head, and it only made him feel worse.

"Why are you being so quiet? Aren't you happy?"

Apparently, he wasn't faking his happiness well enough, so like always, he tried harder to put on a show.

"It's just so overwhelming you know? And….I'm so elated that I don't know the words to say. I'm so happy I get to marry the one person I love the most"

When the words left his lips, he realized how unreal they sounded. Even the most gullible person would realize he was lying, and as good of a liar as he was, he found it extremely difficult to lie to his mother.

"Sasuke", she said softly.

"Yes?"

"Are you lying to me?"

Nothing was more painful than hearing those words. If they were from anyone else, he would not care much at all, but the fact that his mother knew he was being dishonest made his heart ache.

"What? Why would I do that?", he asked in defense.

"You don't have to lie to me Sasuke. I know how it feels to have to marry someone that you don't want to marry"

It was no surprise to him that his mother was unhappy with her love life. Not once had he ever seen his father kiss her, hug her, or show her any other signs of affection inside the castle. It was only when they were around other people that they would put on a fake show.

"You may already be aware of this, but your father doesn't love me, and I don't love him either"

He nodded his head and frowned. He had suddenly come to realization that the relationship he would have with TenTen is the same one that his mother has with his father. It only hurt more now because he finally heard his mother's prospective on her relationship with his father. He'd only heard how other people described it.

"I wish I had something positive to say, I wish there was some good advice I could give you, but there's nothing. No good advice, no words of positivety"

There's a deep sadness in her voice that he had never heard before, and although she was not crying, she had the most disappointed expression he had ever seen in his life.

"I'm sorry Sasuke, just keep your head up. I know I'm only repeating what you've been told since you were a toddler, but it's the only advice I can give you", she said as she got off the bed.

"I love you", were the only words Sasuke could say.

"I love you too. No matter what. Don't ever forget that"

* * *

The next day was chaos. TenTen had arrived at his house early in the morning so they could go to the honorable shinobi ceremony, and the whole ride there she complained about how hot the carriage was and how she was dying of thirst every five minutes. She was right about it being too hot, even as the men with giant leaves fanned their faces, but it wasn't like Sasuke to complain. The unbearable heat, and the devil he was seated next to only made him feel like he was slowly descending into hell as each minute carried on.

"Sasuke, cool me down", she demanded.

"With what?!", he barked at her.

The man fanning his face gave him a look of pity, which is sad because it should be the other way around. But despite his job, he probably had a better life than Sasuke. He was most likely married to someone he loved.

"I don't know, use your hands!", she ordered.

"You already have someone fanning you", he shot back.

"Well it's obviously not working because it's still too fucking hot!", she shouted at him.

"Then jump out of the vehicle for fucks sake! We're in town, you can find a hotel to stay in, you can find a restaurant to get some refreshments!"

"Ha!", she snorted at him.

"Like I would even want to step into a place where I'd have to breathe the same air as commoners", she said with her nose in the air.

"Just like my father", he said under his breath.

His father despised commoners, as if they were the scum of the earth. In fact, he was complaining this morning about having to see so many today at the ceremony. He could never wrap his head around why his father felt that way towards them, or why anyone royal would.

"What did you say?", she snapped at him. There was a ten second silence, before she yelled at him again.

"I asked you what you sa-"

"I said you're just like my father, and that's why I can't stand you!", he finally shouted back at her.

The rest of the ride was silent, and when the carriage stopped, he felt like he'd been saved.

"We're here", one of the servants grumbled.

* * *

Getting from the carriage to the stadium was awful, as Sasuke expected it to be. It was loud, he had to hold TenTen's hand, and it was still scorching hot. It wasn't until they got to their private seats at the top of the arena that he began to feel more comfortable. He dreaded the fact that he had to sit next to his fiance, he would rather sit next to the commoners, but at least she had stopped complaining when they got to their reserved seats at the top of the stadium.

The first part of the ceremony involved a bunch of boring singers, baton twirlers, and the obnoxious strings of the Konoha Orchestra. After two hours of all the bullshit, he fell asleep, unable to take the torture anymore. It wasn't until he heard his fiance's squealing that he finally woke up.

"Look! Look! It's Princess Tsunade!", TenTen said as she jumped up and down in her seat like a five year old.

"What are you doing? And most importantly, what is she doing? Who is that man she's standing next to?", he asked sounding more irritated than he had the entire trip their.

"I don't know! And that man she is standing next to is Danzo! He's the creator of the trials, it was his idea to have the honorable shinobi trials!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the old man who looked just as smug as an Uchiha. He was probably loaded, considering the profit he was making by making everyone who came in the arena pay. The tickets were probably very expensive, and the only people who got in for free were royals.

"Hn", was his only reply.

"Shhh!", his fiance ordered.

He hadn't said anything, and was growing very irritated with her child like behavior.

"What's so special about this stupid shit anyways?", Sasuke grumbled being the scrooge he was.

"What's so special? You know that people take this very seriously right? They place bets on who wins"

"How could they know who wins if they don't know their abilities? Do they judge them based off their appearance? Cause if so that's ridiculous", the Uchiha critisized.

"No you fool. Tomorrow morning turn on your television and go to channel seven. That's when they present their abilities to everyone. There's so much more to this than just the ceremony you're seeing today"

He rolled his eyes, and kept his mouth shut as he continued to observe carefully. Tsunade gave a pep talk about how much she loved her Country, which Sasuke did not find impressive, but everyone seemed to. When she finished the arena went wild. Sasuke was baffled, and even all the other royal families that were seated near him clapped and cheered too.

"And now, for the moment that you've all been waiting for", Danzo says.

It took a long time for the audience to quiet down, and Sasuke was growing very angry. He wanted to go home and never have to do this ever again.

"It is time to announce the winners of the lottery"

Again, the audience lost control, some had gone so wild that security had to escort people out.

"Everyone please calm down", Tsunade said into the microphone. Sasuke was surprised that it worked. The stadium's volume level went down.

"Thank you", Danzo said.

"But before I announce the winners, I have some bad news"

The audience gasped, and Sasuke could feel that what was about to be said would cause a lot of chaos.

"Last night, one of the lottery winners took their own life"

Sasuke looked over at TenTen, who was looking right back at him, only she had an expression of shock, and he had an expression of confusion.

"Why would they do that?", she asked him.

"I don't know", he replied.

"So for the first time ever, I am going to allow any audience member who wants to take his place to come down to the stage now"

Sasuke's eyes widened, as he realized the opportunity that was dangling right in front of his face. The only questions he had to ask himself was how he was going to get down there, and how he could do it without being held back by guards.

He stood up, hesitantly getting out of his seat.

"What are you doing?", his fiance asked.

"I have to go to the bathroom"

"You should've went before we came here!", she scolded.

"I've been here for four hours. I drank six glasses of water. What do you expect to happen?"

She sighed, shooing him away, clearly annoyed by him having to leave at the most important part.

"You're not going alone. Wait for the guards to escort you to the private bathroom reserved for royals", his father ordered.

"Where are the guards?", he asked impatiently.

"They went to the bathroom"

"I need to go, when will they be back?", he said growing even more impatient.

"You're going to have to be a big boy and wait", Fagaku snapped. Sasuke's face turned redder than the blood that was boiling inside of him. He couldn't take it anymore, and turning all the anger into strength, he ran away as fast as he could.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

He ignored his father and his fiance who screamed for him to come back. It only made him run down the stairs faster, even though he didn't really know where he was going. He ran into multiple people, some fan girls grabbed at him, slowing him down. For once he couldn't be the gentleman he was raised to be, and he had to push and claw at the crazy women. He was determined to get down there no matter what.

By the time he was a quarter of a way down, he saw the guards walking up the stairs. Surprisingly, they walked right past him since they were talking with each other and not paying attention, but when they realized people were shouting Sasuke's name they turned around to notice that he had flew right by them. The guards turned around and chased him, trying there best not to fall down the stairs while doing so.

"What the hell is he doing?", one guard asked the other.

"I don't know, but he's not the only one running down there", the other replied.

By the time the guards were down the very long and steep flight of stairs, Sasuke had already gotten on the stage where nineteen other people stood. He received shocked looks from just about everyone, and the people on stage began to complain that he shouldn't be allowed to enter the trials.

"Sasuke?", Tsunade asked in shock.

"I want to do this", Sasuke said as he panted heavily.

"He can't enter the trials he's a royal! He has enough money already!", an angry young woman shouted.

"Why?", was all Tsunade could ask.

Tsunade was horrified. She couldn't believe that he was about to get himself in a situation where he'd most likely die. It confused her that he'd give up so much.

"Because this is what I need to do", he said boldly.

He was still panting like a dog, and he was drenched in sweat and covered in cuts from when fangirls tried to snatch at him.

"Your explanation is not good enough! What the hell are you doing here?", another angry woman shouted.

"Sasuke, please...don't do this...what about your fiance?"

"What about her?", was his only reply.

"Don't you love her?!", Tsunade asked growing frustrated.

"No"

The people on stage gasped, and Sasuke was lucky that Tsunade had covered her microphone through the whole conversation.

"Is that really the only reason why you're doing this? To avoid marrying her?!", she asked outraged.

"No!", he shouted back.

"Then why?!", she yelled.

"Because I want to make something of myself!"

Tsunade went quiet, wanting to hear the rest of what he had to say.

"Because I refuse to live the rest of my life chained by a wedding ring, living a lie! I don't love TenTen! And I don't like being a royal! I want nothing to do with royals! And I'd rather risk my life than spend my life being one, trying to reach expectations I have no desire to reach only to be acknowledged by my family!"

Tsunade stood their wide eyes, along with everyone else on the stage.

"Tsunade...you should understand me better than anyone...do you really love the man you're married to?"

Still, she remained silent. Her parents would not be happy if they were on stage right now, because like every other royal forced into a marriage, she would be expected to lie. Instead, she kept her mouth closed, which was enough to answer Sasuke's question.

Danzo walked over, finally realizing what all the commotion was about.

"Tsunade, what is he doing here?", he asked firmly. It took her a while to respond, but when she looked at Sasuke, she snapped back into reality.

"What everyone else is doing here", she replied.

The guards from before ran onto the stage and grabbed Sasuke from behind unexpectedly. Gasps erupted from the stage and the audience. Fear was the only thing Sasuke could feel.

"No! Let him go!", Tsunade yelled.

The guards dragged him off the stage, and all Sasuke could think about would be how his parents were reacting right now. How all the royals were reacting right now. His family would view him as a disgrace.

"Get off of me!", Sasuke shouted as he squirmed to get out of the strong grips they held on him.

"Please, Danzo! Make them stop! This isn't fair! He should be allowed to do this like everyone else!", Tsunade continued to yell as she felt tears roll down her cheeks.

Danzo stood still and continued to watch the Uchiha get dragged back to the stairs, like a child being dragged back to his room. Tsunade knew she had to say something more than just about it being unfair. Unless it involved making money, Danzo was not going to care.

"Imagine how much the ratings would go up if you let him do this", she whispered in his ear.

That caught Danzo's attention, and it was enough to motivate him to run after the guards who were only seconds away from dragging Sasuke up the stairs. Luckily, he reached them in time.

"Unhand the prince", Danzo commanded as he blocked the exit. He held a kunai firmly in his hand, and stood in a stance that told the guards he meant business.

The guards both looked at each other, and one of them decided to let him go, while the other did not. This gave Sasuke the opportunity to punch the man who had a death grip on him in the face, and with the speed and agility he had, he turned around and punched the other guard in the face as well. Both guards were down on the floor, blood pouring from their noses, and a satisfied look on Sasuke's face.

"So I see that you have skill", Danzo said with a grin that Sasuke guessed was supposed to be friendly. It wasn't working for him.

"I'm a prince. They teach me how to fight so I can protect myself in case of an emergency", Sasuke retorted.

"Well I hope that whatever they taught you will be enough for what's in store"

* * *

Sasuke stood in line on stage with all the other people who were willing to risk their lives. The two men next to him would glance over at him about every thirty seconds, but he ignored it. He accepted the fact that he was the odd one out.

"Thank you for your patience everyone", Danzo said to the audience as well as everyone on stage.

The audience cheered, and Danzo flashed them the same creepy smile he'd flashed Sasuke. That man gave him the creeps.

"We will now determine how one of the twenty people in this line will be the allowed to participate in the trials", Tsunade said.

Sasuke stood anxiously, wondering how this would be fairly determined. He watched as Danzo and Tsunade handed their microphones to the security guards next to them. Both of them whispering to each other, which made Sasuke even more anxious. As he waited, he suddenly realized the mistake he'd made. It had never occured to him what he'd have to face if he lost whatever challenge they were going to throw at him, and the fact that the audience was chanting "Fight to the death" was not helping him calm down.

Tsunade and Danzo took back their microphones. Tsunade turned towards the line, flashing everyone a smile that was intended to be hopeful.

"I am thinking of a number one through fifty", Tsunade belted.

Sasuke looked just about as surprised as everyone else did, and the audience roared. Some of them cheered, some of them booed, and he could hear the man next to him grumble the words "Are you fucking kidding me".

"That's not fair!", Sasuke heard someone on stage shout.

"Of course it's fair. It's the same fairness as the lottery. If none of the other lottery winners had to fight for their place, then why should you?", Tsunade justified.

She did have a point. It wouldn't exactly be fair to make everyone fight each other until their was one person standing. The process would take too long anyways.

"We'll start at the beginning of the line", Tsunade said enthusiastically.

The audience stayed silent as each person shouted their number out loud. Sasuke had guessed the number thirty one, losing hope as everyone else continued to shout their numbers. What were the chances of him getting the number right?

"The number was thirty", Tsunade said to the audience.

Sasuke's heart stopped, and he couldn't remember if anyone had called out the number thirty.

"But no one said that number, and the closest guess was thirty one"

The whole line turned to look and see which one had the closest guess. By the angry stares that were planted on Sasuke, it didn't take long for everyone else to pick up on it.

"Prince Sasuke Uchiha, please step forward", Tsunade demanded.

"This is bullshit!", a young boy yelled furiously. Everyone else on the stage began to scream and argue, but Sasuke stepped forward gracefully. He wasn't sure if he'd actually guessed the number, or if it was a set up, but he didn't care. He beat the odds.

"Congratulations", she said to him.

The arena was so loud that Sasuke thought his eardrums were going to burst. He'd never been in a situation so terrifying but so exciting at the same time, and watched as nineteen angry commoners were escorted off the stage.

"Ladies and gentleman, it is time to show the faces of the other forty nine other winners!"

Sasuke looked around to see where the other winners could be entering from, and noticed that the curtains behind him were parting. Forty nine people ran, some walked, to the front of the stage where he was. Most of them waved at the audience, smiled, and laughed. Sasuke just stood there, unsure of how to feel or what to do.

"Take a bow everyone!", Tsuande said proudly.

Doing as he was told, Sasuke bowed along with everyone else. Everything at the moment seemed unreal, but he was glad it was happening. When he finished his bow, he heard an ear popping scream. He looked next to him and saw Tsunade fall to the ground. Everyone on stage, and in the audience freaked out, and Sasuke quickly got down on his knees to roll her body over. When he saw the kunai lodged in her stomach his heart stopped. He didn't know what to do, and couldn't take his eyes off of all the red that laid before him.

Someone's aim was either slightly off or directly on point, because Sasuke wasn't sure if the kunai was meant to hit her or him. Most likely, him.

* * *

That day, he travelled to a fancy hotel in the city along with the forty nine other winners. Unlike everyone else, he didn't have a suitcase, and on the train ride to the hotel, he didn't talk to the person next to him. It was hard to talk to anyone after being a foot away from a woman who had almost been killed. He was still in shock from what had happened, but he knew that what he had just signed up for was going to be ten times worse than what had happened on stage.

"You're very lucky", the girl next to him finally spoke.

Sasuke was startled that someone would attempt to make conversation with him. He was pretty sure that most of the people on the train hated him, and he could see why. Others probably saw him as a brat who was willing to throw his life away for more money and fame as if he didn't have enough. Hopefully, people would get to see his side of the story...eventually.

"What do you mean?", he asked.

He wasn't sure why he'd asked that, there were a lot of things she could be referring to.

"Everyone knows that kunai was meant for you"

The tone in her voice was calm and informing, as if Sasuke didn't already know it was meant for him.

"I'm aware of that", he said dismissively.

"But are you aware of how fortunate you are?"

He was not in the mood for her questions. The last thing he wanted to talk about was what had happened today.

"Yes I am", he replied as calmly as possible.

"I don't think you do", she said as she looked back out the window.

It took everything in Sasuke's control not to strangle her. How could someone be so rude?

"Well I don't care what you think of me. I don't care what anyone thinks of me", he said coldly.

"You should"

"And why is that", he hissed at her.

She tucked a lock of long brown hair behind her ear. She looked him in the eyes in a way that no one had ever done before. Sasuke was just waiting for her sarcastic, witty reply.

"Because allies are important to have. Look around you. Why do you think everyone else is interacting with each other as if they'd known each other for a long time"

The girl was right, everyone was chatting in hopes to have some people they could trust. Even though they'd probably turn around and stab each other in the back in the end.

"And tomorrow, you're going to have to tell the whole city of Konoha, on national television, why you chose to be in this game"

"You think this is some kind of game?", Sasuke asked, the anger in his voice being very apparent.

"In most ways, yes, but I doubt you'd know that. Most of us who wanted to be in the trials had mentors, people who would tell us how to strategize, how to make a make a fire, how to hunt for food"

Sasuke felt like a total idiot. Mostly, for not knowing how to do any of this. He didn't care if he couldn't really trust any of these people, he needed allies, and fast.

"What to say on television so people will _like_ us", the girl emphasized the word "like" which made Sasuke cringe.

"Why would the opinion of others help you survive?", he said as if it were the most illogical thing he'd ever heard.

The girl shook her head, as if Sasuke knew absolutely nothing, which was basically true.

"People place bets on who they want to win, and donate money to these people. These donations go to an organization that will deliver special supplies and food to you during the trials. That is, if you can get people to want you to win"

"So that's why this is a game to you?"

"Yes, you can easily make up any sob story you want to get as many pity donations as possible"

Sasuke's jaw almost dropped, but he soon realized that he shouldn't be so surprised. Food and supplies would be the most important thing to have.

"I'm sure a lot of last years winners benefited from lying to the audience"

Sasuke sat there speechless.

"I suggest that we become allies, and that you start to think of a sob story that will make people pity you so you can win. But it's not going to be easy, considering that everyone knows you come from riches", she scoffed.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the pale brunette. He really didn't like her, especially because she looked a lot like a certain brunette he was supposed to marry. Hell, she probably knew the same amount of information on how to win as TenTen. It was TenTen who told him what the trials were in the first place. If she hadn't told him, he most likely wouldn't be here, since it seemed like no one in his family really knew about the trials.

"I don't need a sob story to get donations"

And with that being said, they did not talk until they got to the hotel.

* * *

**A/N: Pleeease review! Tell me what you think of this so far :) Hope you enjoyed! **


	4. Chapter 4

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Letting my son participate in the trials!", Fugaku roared.

He was standing in Danzo's luxurious office with his hand placed on his desk and his face an inch away from the old man.

"He may be your son, but he is not your property. He's an adult. You are not in control of him", Danzo said carefully.

"He is my property. He would have anything if it weren't for me. No castle to live in, no money to spend as he wishes, no beautiful future wife", he spat.

"Well it's clear that he doesn't want any of those things anymore. And if he really loved his future wife, why would he put himself in a situation where he has a less than five percent chance of surviving?"

Fugaku backed away from Danzo to refrain himself from strangling him.

"He loves TenTen. He loves everything I do for him. I just don't know what's wrong with him. Maybe he's going insane. Yeah...he's gone insane. And insane people aren't mentally stable. He doesn't know what he's doing. He needs to be pulled out of the trials. He needs psychiatric help", Fagaku rambled.

"Listen, Fugaku", Danzo tried to say calmly.

"You need to sit down in that chair so we can talk like adults", Danzo ordered.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?! I am King Fugaku Uchiha, and I am not going to take orders from a commoner", he said before pointing his finger in the tan skinned man's face.

"I may be a commoner, but I am not a peasant. As you can see, I am wealthy, like you. And in fact, I can guarantee that if the honorable shinobi trials continue, I will be more wealthy than you in about two or three years. You know why? Because I have a job. I had a vision, I put it to action, and I brought it to life. Now I have over a million dollars, and I'm still counting as every ticket sells and every viewer tunes in to channel 7. I never had the advantage of wealth being passed down to me from previous generations. You haven't worked for a damn thing in your life", Danzo said coldly.

Fugaku kept quiet, but was clearly still furious.

"And you know what? I think that's why I admire your son Sasuke. He doesn't want your money, he wants to know that he earned something in his life for once, even if it means risking everything he has"

"Well I hope he's fucking happy with himself right now, because I give him less than twenty four hours in the shinobi world. He'll never survive!"

"Maybe he will, maybe he won't, but for now I'm glad that he's enough of a fool to risk his life like this. I'm going to receive a lot of profit from his bravery", Danzo said mockingly.

Fugaku's facial expression worsened, and he activated his sharingan.

"This whole thing was a set up wasn't it? You told Tsunade to lie to everyone about the number so Sasuke could get chosen...So you could make more money!", Fagaku accused.

"Fugaku, there's no need to act in this manner. I'm willing to compromise with you if you behave", Danzo proposed.

Slowly, but surely, Fugaku calmed down, and deactivate his sharingan.

"Okay, so what's the compromise?", Fugaku asked sternly.

"A quarter of your wealth"

Fugaku stared at him blankly, as if he spoke to him in a different language.

"You want what?"

"I want a quarter of your money", Danzo said before lighting a cigar.

"No way in hell", Fugaku spat.

"Well, I was just willing to compromise, and if there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I'm only willing to compromise once. You either take the chance or you leave my office. You had your chance. Now leave", Danzo ordered.

Fugaku narrowed his eyes at his enemy, his opponent, and decided not to activate his sharingan. He didn't want to cause a ruckus, it would not make him look good.

"This is not over. I'm going to make you regret not pulling my son from these trials", Fugaku hissed before storming out of the office.

Danzo chuckled, rolled his eyes, then inhaled the cancerous smoke.

"Oh Fugaku, it is you who will have regrets"

* * *

When Sasuke finally got to his hotel room, he felt relieved. Waiting in the lobby felt like forever, but at least he got to know the name of the girl sitting next to him on the train. Her name is Yuumi Madoka, and he's very close to her in age.

The room was pretty decent. One bed, one bathroom, a television, a fridge, and a microwave. The walls were a boring mint green color, a color too bright and cheery for his liking, and boring paintings decorated the walls. It was his first time being in a hotel meant for upper middle class commoners, and to him, it wasn't all that bad. Pretty close to what he expected, but he couldn't complain. It was a lot better than being at home right now. The only thing that ruined his mood was the loud, short, blonde...thing that walked into the room wearing colors that were more irritating than the mint green walls. Who knew that there were people out there who thought black and orange looked good together?

"Whooooa! This room is amazing!", the chipper blond said loudly. The first thing he did was walk over to the stove. He stared at it in amazement, as if it were the latest invention. Had he really never seen a stove before?

All Sasuke could do was watch him, noticing a few more details about the boy. As much as Sasuke couldn't stand the blonde's personality, he thought his blue eyes were mesmerizing, and his skin was a nice caramel color. Although he was annoying, he was definitely attractive...very attractive.

"Hey, you're Prince Sasuke", the blond said with wide blue eyes.

Sasuke was slightly offended that it took him so long to notice him. Did a simple stove really have more of a presence than he did?

"Yes I am", he said confidently.

"What are you doing in here? Shouldn't you be at home in your castle?"

Sasuke could tell he was mocking him, and his brow furrowed.

"Do you know what you're getting yourself into?", the blonde began to lecture.

"Have ever fought anybody? Killed anybody?", the blonde questioned.

"No. Have you?", Sasuke asked coldly.

"Yes", was the blonde's quick reply.

Sasuke snorted before walking over to the bed that he'd be sharing with the obnoxious stranger and lying down.

"What, you think I'm lying?", the blonde said growing angry.

"No, it's just funny how someone who looks so soft would kill anyone", Sasuke teased.

"What?!", the blonde shouted at the offensive remark.

"You seem kind of young too. How old are you?", Sasuke asked.

"I'm eighteen", the blonde said proudly.

"Ha. Could've fooled me", the raven sneered.

"I know I look young! You don't need to remind me!", the blonde yelled.

The raven didn't reply, and decided to drown at the blond's angry ranting with the sound of the television. This made the blonde furious, and Sasuke was getting a kick out of making him angry.

"You know, you really shouldn't insult a potential ally", the blonde shouted. It was enough to be heard over the loudness of the TV.

"You're too annoying. I don't want you as an ally", the raven criticized.

"Well I don't want you as an ally either. You-you prick!"

The raven had never been insulted like that in his life. No one dared to do it. He's an Uchiha, no one ever talked down to him. He hit the mute button, making the whole room silent. He finally turned his head towards the blond and raised an eyebrow, which made the blond nervous.

"I-I mean you don't have to be so mean to me", the blond whined.

The raven sighed in defeat. He didn't have to be so rude to him, it's not like he had the right to be that mean.

"Goodnight", was all the raven could say. He was way too tired to deal with him at the moment.

"I was expecting an 'I'm sorry', but fine. Goodnight", was the blond's angry reply.

Sasuke closed his eyes, but opened them when he heard his roommate mutter the words "Teme".

"What did you call me?"

"Nothing"

* * *

The next day was a pain for Sasuke. He was woken from his sleep because it was time to get on the train to go god knows where. He knew today was the day he had to show everyone he had some type of talent. What he also knew was that he had to have some type of speech, and as he sat on the train, he noticed everyone around him trying to memorize there's. The cocky part of him told him he didn't need to memorize one. He was smart enough to do one off the top of his head.

Again, he was next to Yuumi, who didn't have much to say to him besides "good morning". The whole time he was on the train, he sat in silence, staring out the window until it stopped. As everyone got off the train, he began to feel nervous. It was the same nervousness he had yesterday on stage. Although he had been on television many times, it had never been like this. The paparazzi was awful. Worse than yesterday, and it seemed like they were even more focused on the Uchiha. Luckily, there were guards that walked with the large group in the front, back, and sides, of the two lines that they were told to walk in.

"Sasuke, do you still love TenTen?!"

"Sasuke, what is your motive for doing this?!"

"Sasuke, how are you going to survive?!"

The same questions, only worded differently, were thrown at him the entire walk to wherever they were going. And when the destination was reached, he couldn't have felt happier.

The building they entered was huge, almost the size of the castle he lived in at home. In fact, it looked so much like a castle that it was shocking to him, and when he walked inside he felt like he was at home. The red carpet, beautiful paintings, and knights that stood at every corner made him feel like he was back in the Uchiha residence.

The volume of noisy cheering escalated as he continued to walk through the castle like building. Everyone was excited, except for him of course, and the two lines randomly stopped walking.

"Alright everyone! Smiles! It's showtime!"


	5. Chapter 5

The room he entered was packed with famous movie stars, singers, musicians, authors, and movie writers. As Sasuke continued to walk down the aisle, people clapped and took pictures. It was something he was used to, but it was clearly something that other people weren't used to.

He could see seats with names reserved on them, and everyone sat accordingly. Oddly, he was next to an all too familiar blond haired blue eyed boy who had the biggest grin on his face, that is, until he turned to see who he was seated next to.

"You again", he grumbled.

"I don't hate you", the raven blurted. He didn't know why he said it. He could've just ignored him, but it was hard to. There was something about him that the raven liked...even though he couldn't stand being around him.

"You...what?", the blond asked after raising an eyebrow.

"I don't hate you", the raven grumbled.

They both sat there in awkward silence, waiting for whatever it was to come next. After thirty minutes of listening to princess Anko run on and on about how much she loved her Country, tearing up a bit as she did so, she finally ended her speech. As usual, everyone clapped as if it were the best speech they had heard in their life, even though she clearly did not write a damn word of it and read it off a piece of paper.

"And now we will hear the speeches of the fifty brave shinobi"

Sasuke inwardly groaned, knowing that everyone's speeches would take five, some even ten minutes. Assuming they were being timed, he knew the speeches would not be thirty minutes like Anko's.

"First speaker is Naruto Uzumaki!"

This time Sasuke groaned out loud, putting his hand on his face.

"Don't worry. Mine will be short. Hopefully I won't bore you to death", the chipper blond said sarcastically.

The audience gave the usual applause and cheering that almost felt robotic. He walked to the stage confidently, wearing that same goofy grin he had on since he walked into the room. Like yesterday, he was wearing that obnoxious bright orange that Sasuke couldn't bare to look at. For the most part, Sasuke thought the blond fool was overacting. It was really getting under his skin, and he had a feeling that his speech was going to be just as overacted as the way he walked and smiled.

"First of all, I am going to say that I am thankful for this opportunity...even though the chances of me surviving aren't high", the blond said nervously.

A few people in the audience chuckled, and Sasuke narrowed his critically.

"I am also thankful that I had an ally from the very beginning, before everyone else. That ally is my twin sister Naruko, who also won the lottery. She means the world to me, and I'm going to protect her", he said proudly.

A few people in the audience cheered, and some "awed" at how close he was with his sister. Sasuke then began to look around, trying to find a girl who looked a little like him, but he couldn't find her. So he automatically suspected that he was lying for pity points. That made him sick.

"But aside from that, I'd like to share with you why I am here...why I'm willing to risk my life for money and fame"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, feeling that the blond was going to make up the biggest lie out of everyone.

"My sister and I were adopted by a wonderful man named Iruka Umino, after we lost our parents at a very young age. He's done everything to take care of us and to make us smile. He's taught me everything I need to know, along with my sensei Kakashi, and my mentor Jiraiya. Without these people I don't know where I'd be today, but sadly...one of them is in a dangerous situation. In fact, my whole family is in danger because of this"

Sasuke began to notice that the room got very quiet, and he was beginning to get very angry with everyone. It baffled him how gullible they were.

"After a week of being on a long mission, my father had finally returned home. Unfortunately, he had many injuries...too many injuries. And it has taken him a lot of time to heal...as of today this will be the third week of him being in the hospital, and although he is getting better, it is not cheap to stay for so long. We are not rich...in fact, by most people's standards, we would be considered poor, since we can barely pay for the place that we live in or the medical bill. If we do not pay the fees that are due within two weeks, we will lose everything we have"

Sasuke soon realized that this was not an act. Naruto meant everything that he was saying, none of it was a lie.

"And Iruka has done so much for us with what very little he has...and it's not fair. We won't have a penny to our names, we wouldn't have a place to stay for long. And...I refuse to end up with nothing. So that's why I'm willing to sacrifice my life...I may be small, but I am not weak. I am not going to lose! I am not going to let my sister die, and I'm not going to die! That's a promise!"

After a few seconds of silence, the audience figured that his speech was over, and everyone began to clap wildly. Even Sasuke gave a few claps to him, and watched as the blond went back to his seat, seeing the determination in his cerulean eyes.

"Next is Ki-"

Anko was interrupted by a man who whispered something into her ear. She nodded before returning to the microphone.

"Prince Sasuke Uchiha", she said nervously.

Only a few people clapped, and someone rudely shouted "Boo!", but he kept his "I really do not give a fuck" face on like always.

He stood in front of the microphone, and even though at first he seemed confident in what he was going to say, he was now nervous. And as he looked at all the faces in the audience, he became even more fearful. They all looked angry at him, disappointed in what he was about to do to himself and his family. And to put the icing on top of the cake of misery, many royal families sat in the back of the room, including his.

"We ain't got all day", Anko whispered in his ear.

Sasuke sighed, knowing that he had already spent too much time standing there like an idiot, and decided that he was just going to say whatever he wanted. There was no point in holding back. Maybe he could win them over with some honesty.

"I know that a lot of people are wondering why the hell I'd do this to myself, since I already have a lot to begin with, and think I'm a brat for throwing it all away for more fame and fortune. But the truth is, I'm doing this because I don't want to be known as "Prince Sasuke", and I don't want to be forced into a marriage where I'll be unhappy for the rest of my life"

The audience gasped, as if they expected him to love the person he was being forced to marry.

"I deserve to live freely, without my family hating me for it. If I don't want to be a royal, I shouldn't be ridiculed and shunned by my family for that"

He paused before speaking again.

"I've always wanted to be a shinobi...I've always wondered what it's like in the real world where you have to work for what you earn. I don't want to live with everything being handed to me on a silver platter, I want to earn things like everyone else. I want to have a sense of accomplishment"

He swallowed the lump in his throat before speaking again. It was clear that there was a lot of tension in the air, and he was just waiting for that silver kunai to come flying out of the audience to hit him right in the chest.

"And maybe some people will still think I'm a brat after all I've said, but that will never matter to me. For the first time in my life I have a goal, and I'm going to reach it, even though it will most likely kill me. I'd rather die knowing I tried to change my life than to die knowing I did nothing to change it. That's all I really have to say"

No one clapped as he began to walk back to his seat, but before sat down, he hear someone in the audience clapping. He didn't know the direction it was coming from, but it actually made him feel good, even though it was just one person.

Soon, the clapping came from more than just one person, and it slowly began to spread across the room. Even Naruto, the one person who couldn't stand him the most besides his father, began to clap. For once, in a _long_ time, the Uchiha felt happy, and the entire room began to cheer for him.

"That was...empowering", Anko said before chuckling.

After that, Sasuke didn't bother to pay much attention to anyone elses speeches. The only thing he found interesting was that Naruto's sister barely looked like him. She has tomato red hair, and milky white skin, the only physical similarity were their bright blue eyes. Even their personalities were nothing alike. He was more outgoing while she was intimidatingly serious and spoke like a prophet. It's amazing how they can be related, but they were obviously fraternal twins.

* * *

When the last speech ended, Sasuke didn't even have the energy to clap. He was too tired, and couldn't believe that he was going to be here for another four and a half hours.

"And now, fifty of these brave shinobi will show their skills to the judges. If they need to, they are allowed to use other people from the audience to help them with whatever they are going to do"

Sasuke remained calm. This was going to be a lot easier than speaking in front of people. All he had to do was think of a jutsu he could do, which he had a few to choose from. Any one he selected would be impressive, especially if he activated his sharingan.

"Time to announce this years judges!", Anko said enthusiastically as she took the envelope from the hand of the man next to her.

A man came onto the platform, picked up the podium, and carried it away. Then, four men came onto the platform carrying four big, comfy looking chairs. They placed them on the far left of the platform before walking off.

Anko opened the envelope and read the note out loud.

"Actress Ami Siyoku, Danzo, as always, Princess Hinata Hyuga, and...King Fugaku Uchiha?"

Sasuke's heart stopped when he heard the name "Fugaku Uchiha". At that moment, he knew this was all set up. Danzo had done this on purpose. There was no mistaking it. He caught Naruto's bright blue eyes shift over to him, giving him an "I pity you" look, which was understandable. Anyone would pity him right now.

The audience clapped, but the amount of chattering going on was a lot louder than the applause, and Sasuke wondered if his father would even bother to come down to the platform. He was probably just as surprised as he was, but after a few seconds of waiting, he saw his father walking down to the platform with the same look of hatred that was permanently glued on his face since he'd married Mikoto.

"Now that all the judges are seated...it is time to call up the first-"

Again, Anko was interrupted by a man who ran on stage and whispered something in her ear. She gave him an angry look afterwards, which made the audience laugh.

"Sasuke Uchiha", she said with very little enthusiasm. The audience clapped, and the chatting was louder than before.

Now Sasuke was furious. This was his second time being the first one called up, and most importantly, his father was on stage. It was like they were purposely trying to make him miserable, and he was not going to let Danzo get away with pulling this shit. He was going to put on a show that nobody would ever forget.

Again, Sasuke walked onto the platform, trying to avoid eye contact with his father who he knew was staring at him without even blinking once. He kept eye contact with Danzo, giving him the same Uchiha glare that his father was probably giving him. Danzo only gave him that god awful crooked smile that he'd given him yesterday. That made him even more furious.

"Don't disgrace me anymore than you already have"

He looked up at his father, and the staring match lasted a long time. The staring contest ended when Sasuke smirked, which made his father's eyes narrow and his scowl deepen.

"I would like Naruto Uzumaki to help me", Sasuke told Anko.

Anko nodded, and called him to the stage. The volume level in the room went up again, and slowly died down when Naruto stood next to Saskue.

"I hope you have good intentions for doing this", Naruto whispered to him.

"All you need to do is listen to me", the raven ordered.

"Fine", the blond hissed.

"Turn and face me"

The blond did as he was told.

"Step a little closer"

The blond gave him an uncertain look, and hesitated before stepping closer.

Everyone in the audience could have a clear view of both of them, and volume level increased because of how confused everyone was.

"What is your talent Sasuke?", Anko asked nervously.

"Being a disappointment to my father!", he shouted before putting his hand behind the blond's head and locking lips with him.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed! What do you think will happen next?**


	6. Chapter 6

That night, Danzo sat in his office with his five year old granddaughter who he loved dearly. Like most people, they were watching the news. Not that you had many options to begin with since there were only seven channels.

"Danzo, why is Prince Sasuke kissing that pretty blond boy?", the girl asked innocently.

The footage of Sasuke kissing the boy had been the most talked about thing all day. The news brought up the incident about every hour, even if they were talking about something else, someone would always try to go back to the topic of the kiss or try to get the clip played again. It wasn't until now that they weren't just playing the clip, but getting opinions about it from witnesses or random people who'd happen to be watching that morning.

"I'm not sure Hoshimi", Danzo said after chuckling a bit.

"Oh, I thought you'd know. You usually have an answer to everything", she said sounding disappointed.

"Well, if I were to guess, it would be because he wanted to get a reaction out of everyone. Especially me"

"No, I think it's cause he likes him", the girl said shyly.

"It is clear that the Prince likes the blond, not the other way around. The prince was pushed away by him after the kiss", Danzo said as he took a sip of sake.

"Nooo they like each other, and some people don't think that's right", Hoshimi pointed out.

"Some people like to make mountains out of molehills"

"What does that mean?"

Danzo chuckled, forgetting that he was speaking to a five year old girl who was still learning to count to one hundred.

"It means they like to take small things and make them bigger than what they really are"

"Ooooh", she said as if she actually understood. Which she didn't.

"Do you think that...they love each other?", she asked ignoring everything Danzo had said previously.

"Did you not see the blond push him away just now?"

"I think they do. You only share a kiss with the person you're in love with"

Danzo laughed at her naiveness. After all, she was only five and knew nothing about the real world.

"That's only in the movies Hoshi", he said as he patted her on the head.

For a few minutes both of them were silent.

"Danzo if I kissed a girl would you be mad at me?"

The question almost made him choke on his drink, but he only coughed a few times before looking at his grand daughter with a crooked smile.

"No. That would not be my business. You are free to kiss and love whoever you want...when you turn thirty"

Hoshimi scrunched her face at him, unhappy with something he'd said.

"Why do I have to wait so long?", she complained.

"Because you can't count to a billion yet", he said jokingly.

"Oh", she said in disappointment.

There was an angry knock on the door, and Danzo already knew it was a Fugaku Uchiha.

"Come in", he said calmly.

Like he expected, Fugaku walked inside along with five other men who were carrying briefcases. When he saw the little girl next to Danzo, he held back a lot of his anger. Frightening little kids was not on his agenda.

"Hoshi, can you go play with your little brother for a while. I have someone who wants to talk business with me"

Little Hoshimi got up from the chair that was three times bigger than she was, carrying her stuffed panda away with her. She struggled to open the door, but she managed to do it, leaving the room without saying a word.

The TV was still on, and the clip of Sasuke kissing the blond was still being replayed. Fugaku looked at the television, staring at it so intently that it could burst into flames.

"I'm assuming you came back here thinking that I'd take your money"

Fugaku shot him a nasty look, and Danzo gave him a wry smile.

"You listen to me you insignificant bastard", the Uchiha growled.

His anger only made Danzo feel even more satisfied.

"The money I'm willing to give to you is not to have my son back. You think I want my son back after what he'd done to disgrace my family?", he snapped at him.

"I suppose what he did was a bit over the top", Danzo said before putting his drink down on his desk.

"A bit over the top? You know what, I don't want to express how mortifying today was. I'm going to get straight to the point", he snapped his fingers and the men opened the briefcases. Danzo raised an eyebrow at all the jewels, gold, and money that was being offered to him. It was certainly more than a quarter of the Uchiha's wealth.

"Why are you here?", Danzo questioned with his eyes narrowed. Fugaku only smirked and stepped closer to the desk where Danzo was seated.

"I want you to kill my son"

Danzo rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"And how do you suppose I do that with getting away with it?", he asked mockingly.

"Send shinobi out to kill"

Danzo snorted at the King's statement.

"Do you not know what the shinobi trials are about?"

"I want him dead before he even makes it to the playing field", Fugaku hissed.

"Be careful what you wish for"

"This is the only wish I have. I'm not going to take that less than five percent chance of him surviving. I want him to have a zero percent chance of surviving. That's all I'm asking of you. Hire someone to kill him. I want him dead now", the King demanded.

"Don't you think that you're...overreacting. He's your son. You're supposed to love him unconditionally"

"Don't tell me how I should love someone! He betrayed me! I thought he was going to be everything I wanted him to be and he betrayed me! I gave him everything, and this is how he repays me!"

"Did you give him love?", Danzo asked.

Fugaku stood there quietly, appalled by such a ridiculous question. Even the men holding the briefcases looked like they were going to burst out into laughter.

"Did I give him love?", Fugaku asked as if it were the most ridiculous thing he'd heard in his life.

"What type of question is that?! I gave him everything!", he yelled.

"I know, but I asked you if you gave him love. How often did you show him that you cared about him, or told him that you loved him? How much time did you spend with him on a daily basis, how much effort did you put not into giving him things, but teaching him things?"

"Are you trying to talk me out of this?", Fugaku asked sounding less angry than before.

"Are you trying to avoid my question?"

"Fine", Fugaku said in defeat.

"I didn't love him the way I should have. I was never disappointed in him, but I was never that happy with him either", Fugaku grumbled.

"And why is that?", Danzo asked.

"I don't know!", Fugaku snapped.

"Of course you do", Danzo said with a grin.

"Listen, are you going to take what I'm offering? Because if you don't want it, I'm going to leave", the Uchiha growled.

"I'm afraid I can not take anything you have to offer. I will not hire an assassin to kill your jackass of a son"

The Uchiha scowled, and was ready to amaterasu the man in the big green chair.

"I suggest you just wait two or three days", was Danzo's final response.

* * *

Being in the same hotel room as Naruto that night was...awkward. After the little show Sasuke had given everyone, Naruto had punched him in the face when they'd gotten back to the hotel room. It was unexpected, but understandable. He never thought about how the blond would feel about what he did, which he felt guilty for. Was the revenge he got on his father really worth having the blond hate him even more?

The raven turned on the tv and saw the footage of what had happened that morning. He kissed the blond, the audience gasped, his father's face turned redder than a tomato, the blond pushed him away, and his father got out of his seat and left the building.

He smirked after seeing that footage. It was even better seeing it from everyone elses prospective. Of course it was worth making the blond hate him.

"Can you turn that off", the blond hissed.

The Uchiha changed the channel so the blond wouldn't punch him in the face again.

"What I did was wrong, and I'm sorry"

The raven didn't think he'd apologize, but if he didn't, he would most likely regret it. He hated apologies, but this one needed to happen.

"Sorry doesn't take away the humiliation. You do know that no one will ever forget what we did...I mean, what you did to me!"

"I suppose you're right about that. Maybe in future history books, they'll give some information about me. 'Sasuke Uchiha, the flaming homosexual prince who disgraced his family by kissing a boy on national television' ", he joked.

"Why are you joking about this? I don't find this funny at all!", the blond yelled.

"I can understand that, but I assume that the news will eventually move onto something else. In less than a week, I can guarantee people will get tired of seeing this. It will be old news"

"Teme, this will haunt me for the rest of my life!"

"And maybe this will haunt mine too, but if you were me you'd understand why I did it"

"You made your father really unhappy. How could you do that to him?"

"He's an asshole"

"An asshole? He's given you everything you could ever ask for, and he's an asshole?!"

"All I did was kiss a boy", he defended.

"But that's wrong! Boys don't do that! Weren't you getting married to that girl? What's her name...TenTen? How do you think she feels? How do you think her family feels?"

"Oh yeah, almost forgot that she was there with her family", the Uchiha said before chuckling.

"You're a horrible, horrible human being!", the blond shouted.

"Alright, I get it, now stop yelling at me", the raven said growing irritated with the blond's noise level.

"Make me!", the blond challenged.

"Bad choice of words"

Again, the Uchiha forcefully kissed the blond. He had a strong grip on both tan wrists, biting the boy's lip tenderly. The blond kicked and wriggled his hips around, but that only encouraged Sasuke even more.

"You're too much fun to tease", the raven whispered seductively in his ear.

"G-get off me!", the blond panicked.

"I don't feel like it"

Naruto finally managed to kick Sasuke effectively, making the raven back away from him.

"I'm not going to say this again teme, don't touch me!"

Luckily, there was a knock on the door that prevented things from getting too ugly. The blond immediately ran across the room to get to the door. When he opened it, he noticed that the guys in front of him looked suspicious. One man had a scar that went from his bottom lip to his chin, and the other had grey hair pulled back in a ponytail and circular glasses.

"Um...can we help you?", the blond asked nervously.

"We would like to speak to Sasuke"

* * *

**A/N: Uh oh, Sasuke might be in trouble! I'd like to thank all the people who reviewed this story and continue to read it! Tell me your thoughts and opinions and what not :)**


	7. Chapter 7

"Sasuke...the door's for you"

The raven walked over to where the blond stood, and when he saw the men in front of him, he looked just as skeptical as the blond. He was also very unhappy that they'd interrupted his kissing session, so whatever they had to say better had been important.

"Sasuke, it is nice to finally meet you. My name is Kabuto, and the man to the right of me is Suhiko"

"Nice to meet you", Sasuke said cautiously.

"We would like to discuss business matters with you", Kabuto said to get to the point.

"And what would that be?"

"I think it's best to discuss this privately. Let's walk and talk", Suhiko suggested.

Sasuke nodded, and looked at the his innocent blond roommate before he left. He could have sworn he saw a hint of concern on his face, maybe he was imagining it. But there was no need to worry, he could handle himself.

"Sasuke, do you have any allies yet?", Kabuto questioned.

"One", the raven replied uncaringly.

"It is important to have allies", Suhiko mentioned.

"I guess"

"And we know that you would make a good ally", Kabuto schmoozed.

Sasuke snorted at the man kissing up to him. He'd done nothing to show anyone his skill. He gave up that opportunity yesterday, so why were they so desperate to have him on their side?

"We think you're hardcore", Suhiko complimented.

Sasuke smirked, not knowing what to say to that.

"You've got balls"

"Is that why you want me as an ally? Because I have balls?"

"There's more to it than that. We know you have the most skills out of everyone here, even though you've never fought a day in your life", Kabuto said as he pushed up his glasses.

"You're kidding me, right?", Sasuke asked in disbelief.

"I kid you not", Kabuto assured him.

"I haven't displayed a single ounce of skill to anybody", the raven scoffed.

"If anything, I thought you'd want Naruto and his sister as allies, like everyone else. They're both very skilled, and work well together", he pointed out.

"That is true. Naruko's healing and taijutsu skills will sure be a benefit to her allies, and Naruto's rasengan is quite an advanced jutsu. I'm sure that is not the only jutsu he knows too'', Kabuto retorted.

"But you are a wielder of the sharingan, an Uchiha, a prodigy", Kabuto continued.

"There is no way that your sharingan will not be of good use", the sketchier looking man said.

"I suppose that makes sense"

"So what do you say?", Kabuto asked with an out stretched hand.

Sasuke was not ready to shake his hand...yet.

"I told you I already have an ally", Sasuke reminded them.

"Your allies are our allies", Kabuto replied with a smile.

Sasuke was surprised by how nice the grey haired man was. It seemed like everyone else who was participating in the trials had a stick up their ass, and the least frightening one of them all was Naruto. But this guy was definitely second place for least frightening. If only he could say the same for his friend who looked like he just gotten out of prison.

"Fine. I'll work with you", was Sasuke's final response. He shook both of their hands, wondering if these men were trustworthy.

"You won't regret it"

* * *

When Sasuke went back inside his room, he saw a worries blond sitting cross legged on his bed. It was a cute sight, he had to say, but he couldn't understand why the blond was so uneasy.

"What was that all about?"

"Nothing that should concern you", the raven snorted.

"What if they had killed you?!", the blond snapped.

"What? That's absurd", Sasuke accused.

"You think it wouldn't happen? They get you alone, you think you're safe, and then when you least expect it they stab you. You're crazy for letting such sketchy looking people get you alone"

"But guess what, I'm fine. And now I have more allies", the Uchiha gloated.

The blond turned his head away, put his lips into an adorable pout, and crossed his arms. The amount of cuteness that radiated from the blond made the raven want to pounce on him. Never in his life had he ever been so aroused by someone's appearance.

"Why are you so concerned anyways? I thought you'd be okay with me dying", Sasuke teased.

A soft shade of pink rushed to the blond's face.

"Well maybe I don't want you to die", the blond muttered.

"Since when", the raven snorted.

"Since I realized you're not as bad as I thought you were", the blond said sheepishly.

"Hn. Good to know"

He stopped leaning against the wall to saunter over to the bed. Without caring about personal space, he sat closely to the blond. Surprisingly, the blond didn't try to move away. He sat still, refusing to make eye contact with the man who was clearly tempted to lock lips with him.

"I don't know why you're so attracted to me", the blond said clearly flustered by Sasuke's flirtatious behavior.

"It's hard not to be. Everything you do is so cute", the raven purred.

"Stop! Don't say that, that's creepy!", the blond panicked.

"You asked", the raven said moving in closer to the blond.

"You're very close to getting hit again", the blond hissed.

The raven sighed, and decided to leave the blond alone. He didn't want another bruise on his face. Unfortunately, all he did that night was lie awake in fear of what was in store for him. What made the night worse was the raging erection he had, so not only was he afraid, he was also sexual frustrated. Unlike at home, he didn't have anyone else to take it out on...well, he did, but this person would kill him if he molested him in his sleep.

* * *

As always, getting on the train was a major pain in the ass. Paparazzi were everywhere, specifically targeting Sasuke, asking rude questions about his sexuality and telling him how disappointed his father was in him. He brushed it off, deciding that there was no point in arguing with them or answering their questions. Today was the first day of the Shinobi trials, and no one knew what was in store.

"What you did yesterday was very smart", Yuumi said to him.

He couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic, so he replied with a "hn", and tried to focus on something else.

"You know, a lot of people like you for standing up to your father"

Sasuke hadn't really thought about how other people thought of him, but then he remembered how important it was. The more people liked him, the more support he'd get.

"To be honest, I expected a lot of people to hate me for that"

Yuumi chuckled before giving an explanation.

"A lot of commoners don't like your father"

It made sense. Fugaku made his hate for commoners very apparent, especially out in public. Not only that, but he made them pay higher taxes than the rich, which no one found fair, except for the rich of course. Sasuke had always had a feeling that commoners wanted his father dead.

"That doesn't surprise me", Sasuke snorted.

"Your speech was also really good. I'm surprised you were able to motivate so many people without lying"

"I told you, I didn't need to lie", Sasuke gloated.

"Well, I'm glad you managed to get so many people to like you. We can share whatever donations we receive. They will help us a lot along the way"

Sasuke wasn't sure if now was a good time to bring up his new allies, but he had to do it eventually. He wasn't sure if Yuumi would approve of them.

"Yuumi, I have to tell you something"

"What would that be?"

There wasn't a hint of curiosity or care in her voice, but Sasuke was used to that. She was almost as emotionless and carefree as he was.

"I have two other allies, and they want to work with me"

Yuumi's expression did not care, which made Sasuke less nervous, but it was still hard to tell her.

"But they said that my allies are their allies, so that means they also want to work with you"

"And what if I don't want to work with them"

Sasuke didn't respond, he wasn't sure how to.

"I was just kidding", Yuumi said to break the silence.

Sasuke smirked, surprised that someone as serious as her would ever joke around.

"I trust that your allies will be of use, but I also have to say that a group of four will not end well"

"Why? I've noticed that most people are going to be working in groups of four or five. So why would a group of four be bad?"

"Because only three people can win. Unless one of us happens to die at some point, what do you think will have to happen?"

Sasuke hadn't thought about that, but thinking about it now only made him more anxious.

"Either you take their side and kill me, or we decide to kill them when the time's right", she said coldly.

"I hope you know which side to take"

* * *

**A/N: I'm surprised that I've updated this story every single day! I really enjoy writing it! What do you think Sasuke would do when the time comes? **


	8. Chapter 8

It was a long journey, but when it was over, Sasuke could feel the tension between everyone. He was extremely nervous about surviving the first day, hell, he was nervous about if he'd survive at all. Could he trust his allies? Would he work well with them?

"Welcome to the fourth year of the annual Shinobi Trials", Danzo belted.

Sasuke, along with the forty nine others sat quietly in a classroom. The place that they arrived at was obviously a school for beginners, an academy for children who wanted to become shinobi. This place was one of many, and just happened to be in the middle of nowhere.

"This year, you will be dealing with an environment that you have probably dealt with before. I'm sure you all know of the forest of death. Most of you here are chunin ranking or higher, so I'm sure you've either went there to take the second part of the chunin exams or for mission purposes"

Everyone else nodded in agreement, and began whispering. Only Sasuke sat there quietly, since he'd never heard of the place or been there, but apparently everyone else had.

"Quiet down", Danzo's assistant ordered.

The talking slowly stopped, and Danzo gave everyone that notorious crooked smile.

"Since everyone is so eager to know how things are going to work, I will keep things short and simple. You will have six hours to train here at the academy. You will have all the kunais, shuriken, bows and arrows you'll need. There is enough for everyone in rooms 309 and 310, as well as bags to carry your stuff in before you head off on your journey. After the six hours are up, you will hear the sound of a gong, signaling you to come back in here so we can continue to discuss your mission. Is that clear?"

No one said a word, so Danzo assumed everyone had understood, dismissing them so they could get the training they needed.

"Come on, let's go", Yuumi said before grabbing Sasuke's wrist.

Without complaint, Sasuke let Yuumi drag him to the room.

"What are you good with?", she asked him as she picked up a bag.

"What do you mean?", he asked confused by the question.

"Do you know how to throw a shuriken or a kunai?", she asked dryly.

"No"

"Oh Kami", the frustrated brunette grumbled.

"But I know how to shoot an arrow. I've been doing that since I was a kid"

"And here I thought you were going to be completely useless", she teased.

"Hn"

Sasuke packed his bag full of arrows, and Yuumi shook her head at him.

"You know, you can learn how to throw a kunai or a shuriken in six hours. You can't just rely on your bow and arrow", Yuumi criticized.

"And why would I want to spend six hours learning. Don't you think that sparring would be more important?"

Yuumi narrowed her eyes at him. She hated being wrong, but Sasuke was right.

"Pack an extra bow", she ordered before walking away. Sasuke rolled his eyes and followed her, avoiding eye contact with everyone he walked by.

"We'll spar here", Yuumi said when they finally reached a decent spot outside.

"Fine by me"

"But only using tai jutsu. No ninjutsu, no kunai's, shuriken, or arrows"

"Why not?", Sasuke asked bordely.

"It's best that we not kill ourselves", Yuumi reminded him.

"Understood. I'm ready when you are"

In a flash, Yuumi had punched him in the chest. The hit through him for a loop. He couldn't believe how fast she was, and Sasuke wasn't sure if he'd be able to keep up.

"Come on princess, show me what you've got", she said as she tried to land another hit on him. The insult made Sasuke's facial expression harden, like she expected it to. She knew that the insult would make him try harder.

This time, Sasuke had managed to block it. He wasn't planning on letting her hit him again, but she'd proved to be a worthy opponent, because in less than a minute, she'd managed to hit Sasuke again. This time, she'd kicked him in the stomach from below, knocking the wind out of him. Sasuke was getting frustrated, and knew that he had to activate his sharingan. Getting hit again would only prove him weak.

"About time", she said flatly once she noticed he had activated his sharingan.

"Can't have you hitting me again", he said as he blocked a kick directed at his shoulder.

The amount of blocking he was doing got on his own nerves more than it got on hers, so with all his strength, he threw a punch at her, hitting her just above the hip. It wasn't enough to do damage, but it definitely made her back up a bit, slowing herself down and giving Sasuke another chance to hit her. Soon enough, it was Sasuke throwing most of the punches, and her doing most of the blocking. He didn't know he had it in him. He'd only sparred with his brother a few times when he was a kid, and his mother hated the idea of her two sons fighting, even if it was just a spar.

"I have to admit, you're a lot better than I thought you'd be", she said as she continued to try and block his hits.

"It's not like I've never done this before", he said as he nailed her in the chest for the third time in a row.

"Well, I hope you can keep this up for another hour or two cause I need to see you work your ass off"

This time, she jumped high enough to bring her heel down on his shoulder. Even though he could predict the movement, it didn't mean he had the reflexes fast enough to block it. The hit hurt like a bitch.

"No pain no gain", she said to the obviously hurt Uchiha.

* * *

"I think it's time for us to take a break"

Both of them were panting, covered in sweat, blood, and a few bruises. No pain no gain right?

"Sounds fine to me. It's best that we not over exert ourselves", Yuumi reminded him.

The two sat side by side against the brick wall of the school, nearly out of breath and in desperate need of some water. Sasuke's stomach growled, and Sasuke looked away in embarrassment.

"Did you eat before we left?"

Sasuke shook his head. He couldn't believe his own stupidity.

"Not like they're gonna supply us with food", he grumbled.

"Might as well learn what it means to be hungry now. Imagine what it's going to be like hunting for food"

"Hunting shouldn't be a problem, I'll deal with that", Sasuke said arrogantly.

"Right", she said with an eye roll.

The two had noticed a few people walking over to where they were, and Sasuke immediately tensed up. No one was around to stop them from killing each other before the trials even started. Luckily, it was just Naruto and his sister, along with a pink haired girl and a mysterious looking boy wearing sunglasses and a jacket that covered have his face. "Definitely just got out of prison", Sasuke thought to himself.

"How can someone so scary be allies with a group of people who are so...unscary?", Sasuke whispered to her.

"I'd assume he feels that they are skilled enough to work with despite their soft appearances. They may look all cute and pretty now, but when the time comes, they might look scarier than you"

Sasuke scoffed at the thought, and continued to watch them as they walked to who knows where.

"I wonder what they're capable of", Yuumi said with suspicion.

"Only one way to find out", Sasuke said as he got up from off the wall.

"No way. It's best that we mind our own business", Yuumi rejected.

"But you should know your enemies right?"

Yuumi rolled her eyes, having very little desire to participate in Sasuke's "spying".

"Or maybe you just wanna see your blond lover", she teased.

"That idiot?", he said a little too harshly.

"Yeah, that idiot you kissed to piss your father off"

"Hey, who else was I supposed to kiss? He's the softest looking one out of everyone here"

Yuumi thought for a short moment, trying to evaluate the least scariest people she knew of that were in the trials. "I suppose you're right", she agreed with him.

"Of course I am, now let's follow them before they get too far ahead"

* * *

**A/N: Short chapter, but it will probably be updated by tomorrow. I wanna thank everyone who's reviewed this story regularly. You guys mean a lot to me :)**


	9. Chapter 9

"I don't think they're worth spying on Sasuke, I mean look at them"

"Maybe you're right", he grumbled hopelessly.

Yuumi and Sasuke watched as three ninja lounged around while a pink haired girl, who appeared to be the leader of the flock, yelled at them.

"The trials are about to start! Why aren't you guys training!"

"My bugs need to rest"

"That's not an excuse Shino!"

Naruko sharpened her kunai as her twin brother laid his head on his backpack, picking his nose and ignoring the angry teammate.

"And you two!", she shouted accusingly as she pointed her finger at them with authority.

"What", the redhead replied dryly.

"I wanna see some jutsu's! Now is not the time to be lumps on logs!"

"Sakura, Sakura, Sakura", the blond said in a soothing yet taunting voice.

"There's no need to get all worked up. I think the best strategy is to relax so we don't waste our energy"

"I don't care!"

"Sakura-chan there's no need to yell", the blond says as he picks at his ear.

"Get up!", she says before punching him hard in the noggin.

"Jeez! Alright", the blond said as he scrambled to his feet.

"I know my brother is a very punchable person, but I don't appreciate it when other people hit him. As specially when they don't know him very well", Naruko says in a threatening tone.

"I'm sorry", Sakura says nervously. Her angry features shift, showing fear and concern.

"It's okay! I can take a punch!", the naive ninja says confidently.

"And that's a great thing Naruto. Now show me that number one knock out jutsu!"

"Right! It's rasengan time!", the pumped up blond shouts with his fist in the air.

"Rasengan?", the raven whispers questioningly to his ally.

"I've never heard of it"

The routy ninja clones himself, but then hesitates before continuing with his plan.

"You know what, I wanna impress you Sakura. After you see this, you won't ever ask me to train again", the cocky blond says.

"Don't do it Naruto", his sister warns him.

"Relax! I've done it before, I know what I'm doin'!", the blond replies dismissively.

"If it's dangerous, you really shouldn't do it", Sakura says.

"I've got this in the bag!"

With that being said, he creates one extra clone, and winks at the pink haired nin who only rolls her eyes in response. The bushin nod their heads simultaneously before turning to Naruto to start the jutsu.

"What is that hand motion they're doing? I thought jutsu's used hand signs"

"I guess this one doesn't use hand signs...how weird", Yuumi said skeptically.

As the two spying nin continued to observe, their eyes began to widen at the massive swirling blue chakra before them.

"Is that a…"

"Shuriken", Sasuke says once he finally recegonizes the jutsu's form.

"Rasen-Shuriken!"

The blond throws the jutsu into the sky, and it eventually explodes in the air. The sound is twice as loud as thunder, and if the spying shinobi didn't know any better, they'd think it was a bomb.

"Th-that's...incredible", Yuumi stutters.

"We need to get out of here. Now", Sasuke panics.

"Why? We only saw one of their jutsu's. That blond kid is pretty impressive. I wanna see what else he can do!"

Yuumi sounds more like a fangirl than an impressed ninja, and Sasuke violently grabs her by the back of the shirt and out of the woods.

"We need to find our other allies and warn them about this jutsu"

"Are we really going to waste our time searching for them?"

"Yes", the stubborn raven replied as he continued to drag her out of the woods.

* * *

The two found their allies a lot quicker than expected. They were throwing kunai and shuriken at wooden logs, none of them the slightest bit off target. When they turned around to see Sasuke and the unknown girl he was with, they stopped their training to give him their attention.

"I had a feeling you would come and find us", Kabuto said with an unpromising smile on his face.

Sasuke could see right through Kabuto. His suspicion of his "allies" had never dropped. Something about them would always make him feel slightly in danger. It would be very difficult for him to drop his guard.

"Yes, my...friend", Sasuke said cautiously. "And I wanted to warn you about a certain competitor's abilities"

"So you've been spying on someone I see", Kabuto said sounding impressed with his teammate's effort.

Sasuke nods his head and Suhiko smirks. He was also impressed with Sasuke's ability to spy on other competitors.

"So what is it you need to tell us? It must be important since you took the time to find us", Suhiko asks.

"It's that damn Naruto. He's the reason for that explosion you probably heard not long ago"

"Oh yeah, that scared the life outta me", Suhiko said.

"Yes, and it's his fault. He was using some high level jutsu...it was…nothing me or my friend had seen before"

"Can you describe the jutsu to us?", Kabuto asks.

"It looked like a giant shuriken made out of chakra", the raven said.

"He didn't use a single hand sign, and he used two clones to help create the jutsu", the brunette added.

"He called it rasen-shuriken"

Kabuto raised an eyebrow at the jutsu's name.

"Thank you for warning us about this jutsu. We'll be sure to watch out for it. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us?"

The two other men gave Sasuke's "friend" a curious look, and he assumed that he should introduce her to them.

"This is Yuumi. She was my first ally. I can assure you that she'll be very useful"

"It's very nice to meet you", Kabuto says as he walks up to her and offers her his hand. She shakes it without hesitation, and refuses to return the friendly smile he is giving her.

"I suggest we all train together until the time comes", Sasuke suggests.

"I like that idea", Suhiko replies.

"So do I", Kabuto says for closure.

"Let's get to work"

* * *

When the gong sounded, Sasuke's heart raced. Yuumi looked at him with a startled face, and he returned the equally shocked look.

"It's time", Suhiko said with a chuckle.

The four allies walked back to the room where they gathered before. Unlike last time, the atmosphere was twice as tense. Everyone looked like they were ready for war. Reality finally began to sink in for the raven, and he was beginning to regret everything._ I should have never signed up for this. There is no way I'm going to win._

"I hope you all trained well", Danzo's stone cold voice said.

"It might be the last time you have anything to train for"

Sasuke swallowed the lump that formed in his throat, and he began to feel light headed. Yuumi gave him a weird look, but all he could pay attention to was how loud it was inside his mind.

"Today, you will be lead into the infamous forest of death. Your goal is to find your way out. You will receive a map before you go on your journey. It is wise that you hold onto it for dear life, especially if you do not have any allies and plan on working alone. Before your leave this place, I wanted to tell you that we will know where you are at all times. We are going to plant tracking devices into all of you so we will know you leave the forest. Leaving the forest calls for automatic disqualification. If you leave, don't bother returning. We can identify anyone who leaves the grounds"

_Tracking devices? He has got to be kidding! There's no way…_

Sasuke studied the map that was given to him by the assistant who rushed to pass them out to all of the competitors.

"Now that all of that is out of the way, I want everyone to group up with their allies"

Everyone got out of their seats, and looked around the room to stand side by side with their allies. Once the groups were formed, all the shinobi critically studied each group in the room. Danzo gave his well known wry smile as his beady black eyes skimmed the room.

"Let the annual shinobi trials begin", he said before disappearing into a puff of smoke.

Suddenly, a yellowish green colored smokey substance filled the room. A storm of coughing and hacking erupted in the room. Sasuke activated his sharingan, and tried to hold his breath. None of those tactics worked. His eyes grew heavy, his heart rate began to decelerated, and his vision became so blurry that he couldn't even make out the faces of his struggling allies. In less than a minute, everyone was on the floor unconscious.

* * *

**A/N: Short chapter, and sorry if it feels kinda rushed. This chapter was a huge pain in the ass to write, and I probably should have made it longer, but I still need to plot out the next chapter, since it will probably be the longest chapter I'll ever write in my life. Anyways, thanks for reading! Continue to review :)**


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